How did Sirius lure Severus into the Willow? (was: James the Berk?)

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 105826

> > Neri:
> > You forget one thing. James did run after Severus and saved his 
life. 
> > Snape belittles this in the Shack (in PoA), but we know that as 
late 
> > as SS/PS Snape had still considered himself in debt to James. So 
the 
> > shaken 16 yrs old Severus, who had just saw Death in the form of 
a 
> > full-blown werewolf and was dragged back by James, is likely to 
see 
> > it this way even more. Or perhaps it was DD who gently but surely 
> > pointed this to him, in the best of DD's style.
> > 
> Kneasy:
> But even if he did consider he owed something to James he owed 
> nothing to Sirius or Lupin, or DD come to that. He could tell his 
> tale and the solids would hit the fan, spattering everyone except 
> himself.

Neri:
The point is that it would spatter James. All the rest are not 
important. Young Severus now owes James. He feels that until he pays 
James back, he can't get him expelled, certainly not for the very act 
of saving Severus' life. 

>Kneasy: 
> Small correction: it's DD who suggests that Snape's 'life debt' 
might
> be a factor in the way he feels about James. He uses it as a reason,
> an excuse, for Snape saving Harry from Quirrell's broom-stick hex,
> so that he could go back to hating James in peace.
> 
> Personally, I  think this is some of DD's flim-flam; he's 
presenting 
> Harry with a credible reason for Snape's actions, one that Harry 
will
> understand and accept; the more so since it makes James look good.
> I think it's more complicated than that.

Neri:
If DD is lying to Harry about it, then why indeed didn't young 
Severus let the solids hit the fan? And if he didn't because DD was 
intimidating him, then why does he trust DD now? 

I find DD's explanation to be simpler and more consistent.

> Kneasy: 
> Remember - in PoA chap 14, Harry reminds Snape that James saved
> his life and Snape's reaction doesn't indicate any feeling of debt 
or
> forgiveness at all. He lumps all the Marauders together and suggests
> James only rescued him because he got cold feet, that James was
> primarily saving himself and his friends. Saving Snape was just a
> means to an end.

Neri:
I think Snape in the Shack thought he is saving Harry's life from 
Sirius, and thus his account with James is settled, and he is finally 
free to trash James to his heart content. His words, regardless of 
the amount of truth in them, sounds like something he was waiting to 
say for years and years.
 
> Kneasy:
> Snape never mentions a 'life debt', might never even consider it 
> applicable, since it was one of James's friends that put him in 
danger 
> of his life anyway. The way he behaves in Shrieking Shack II, the 
estatic
> Gotcha! reaction; the revenge he can almost taste - "Two more for 
> Azkaban" - is almost obscene. He's been waiting for this for a 
long, 
> long time.
> 

Neri:
Yes, but I think it was more than taking down both Sirius and Lupin 
in a single stone. It was getting rid of his debt to James, the debt 
that Snape hates perhaps even more than he hates Sirius and Lupin. 
That's another reason why he wouldn't even consider the possibility 
that Sirius is innocent. If Sirius is innocent, then he (Snape) is 
not saving Harry's life.

>Kneasy:
> I see Sevvy as a vengeful type - he'd want his pound of flesh, to 
see
> his enemies humiliated.

Neri:
I fully agree with that, but I think Snape also has his twisted sense 
of honor. I know people who are a bit like Snape. They simply can't 
stand owing even a small favor to anybody. They must "get even". For 
Snape, owing his life to somebody is bad enough. Owing his life to 
somebody he hates is unbearable. But owing his life to somebody he 
hates and is already dead, So Snape can't pay him back, this is worse 
than unbearable.

Poor Sevvy...

>Kneasy:
>Somehow DD put the blocks on it.
> I'd love to know how and I'd love to know why Snape still trusts 
him.

Neri:
Well, if you choose to reject DD's explanation of Snape for a more 
complicated one, that's fine by me, but you'll have patch your 
argument yourself.

Neri